The Weekly Music Round Up, May 31st- June 6th   The Free Press Pick of the Week: FREE PRESS SUMMER FESTIVAL! That’s right folks, this year’s FPSF is going to have everything, so hopefully we’ll see you there! Be sure to check out the FPSF App for your mobile devices, which you can locate here, and also, make sure to activate your wrist bands by following these instructions. We hope you all enjoy two full days of bad ass music, art, food, and people! Be safe, be smart, and stay cool! This Week In Houston- Friday, May 31st A ... Read More »

Behind the Candelabra should be on your list of must-see films. Domestically this Liberace biopic plays on HBO (running now and throughout June) while getting a theatrical release abroad. BTC covers Liberace (Michael Douglas stunning in the role) during the late-70s to his death in 1987, with the emphasis on his affair with Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) whose tell-all book is the film’s source material. BTC has it all: behind the scenes shenanigans of the rich and famous and the manipulation of public personas by same. While Behind the Candelabra may be the gayest film you’ll see this year this ... Read More »

BY JACK DANIEL BETZ During their time together, Female Demand rode high on a wave of growing appreciation for power-duo bands like Lightning Bolt (who have seemingly reached the apex of their mainstream popularity with their inclusion on the star-studded Flaming Lips’ album Heady Fwends). Bradley Muñoz and Jonathan Perez took the drum and bass thrasher concept to its limits, beyond its minimalist noise roots, to an acid-drenched, space-rock climax, on their only full-length album, “Outside the Universe.” They turned heads with their intensity, in life, but broke up rather quietly, with Bradley’s Facebook status about selling his bass as ... Read More »

By Nick Cooper Illustration by Blake Jones At a time when most progressive causes are losing ground, gay and lesbian struggles to marry and serve openly in the military are scoring huge victories. Full marriage and military service equality were unimaginable only a few years ago and now seem within reach. Bones, a queer anarchist activist in Houston, thinks these two causes are succeeding because, “of all the calls for justice and normalization coming from the queer community, these issues are the least demanding of structural change.” The Accepted and the Left Out “The marriage equality movement appeared late to ... Read More »

  By Alex Wukman Image Courtesy of Buffalo Bayou Partnership How and where Buffalo Bayou’s muddy waters flow have become very expensive questions over the last 10 years. Millions of dollars have already been spent by public and private organizations to determine where the bayou needs to go and the best way to get it there, and the project is only halfway underway. By the time the project is completed, $50 million, almost all of it private donations, will have been spent transforming the Sabine to Shepherd stretch of the bayou into the crown jewel of the city’s park network. ... Read More »

By Rob McCarthy Photo by Jason Nocito What started as a one-man project, and further, was simply a late Valentine’s present to one very lucky girl, quickly became an international sensation. Passion Pit is one of the more encouraging success stories in modern popular music. A boy makes music for a girl and ends up making music for the world. With hits like “Sleepyhead” and “Take a Walk,” Passion Pit’s music has risen to great heights on notable charts, has appeared in commercials and on movie soundtracks, and has stuck in the heads of millions of fans across the globe. ... Read More »

By Space City Sarah Photo courtesy of Peter Lee Festival art is anything that is built purely for the enjoyment of experiencing it. Ideally, it serves the purpose of enhancing some aspect or area of the festival, but it can also enthrall the viewer to the point where it becomes an attraction in and of itself.  Successful festival art matches the vibe and scale of its surroundings because this is the furthest from a quiet gallery space. This art needs to find attention and purpose in a giant outdoor party. Festival art can take shape in a number of different ... Read More »

By Amanda Hart Illustrations by Blake Jones and Shelby Hohl Anticipation for FPSF has been building for well over a year now. If you’re anything like us, you left the gates of Eleanor Tinsley Park last year dreaming of what 2013 would have in store. Thankfully, the wait is finally over. Free Press Summer Festival has arrived! We’ve been hard at work making sure that this year’s event is the best one yet. In an effort to ensure that your festival experience is as crunk as possible, we’ve put together a convenient guide to cover all the essentials you need ... Read More »

By Amanda Hart Photo courtesy of Chris Grawl & Kelly Allen Houston now has its very own traveling library. When we saw The Billy Pilgrim Traveling Library at the most recent Lone Star Bazaar we figured it was deserving of an interview. FPH caught up with creators Chris and Kelly to learn more about their book-peddling bus. Who is Billy Pilgrim and where did he get the idea to create a traveling library? Knowing who Billy Pilgrim is has sort of implicitly become part of the initiation process at the BPTL.  Some come to our library with that knowledge intact.  ... Read More »

Bringing It All Back Home: A Brief Summary of Houston’s Music History By Rob McCarthy Illustration by Blake Jones Houston doesn’t always get the respect it deserves when it comes to music. Few people may fully realize the major role our city has played in influencing popular music-multiple times. Throughout the last century, Houston has been home to a wealth of talented artists, big and small, that were pivotal in defining American music for generations to come. In 1946, Sam John Hopkins made his way back to Houston. Hopkins first moved to Houston several years before with the hopes of ... Read More »